Automatic valve for steam-heaters



(No Model.)

0. J. VALENTINE. AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR STEAM HEATERS.

No. 484,526. Patented 0011. 18, 1892.

BY w ATTY'S.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES J. VALENTINE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC VALVE FOR STEAM-HEATERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 484,526, dated October 18, 1892.

Application filed November 19, 1891- Serial No. 412,364. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. VALENTINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Valves for Steam- Heaters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly, though not exclusively, to steam-heaters as applied to railway-cars; and the object of the invention is to prevent persons from being scalded by the steam in the event of the rupture of a steam-pipe by accident or otherwise.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures, Figure 1 represents in elevation myimprovement, together with the rear end of a locomotive-boiler, the dome thereon, and a tender, a steam-pipe connected with the dome, thence passing beneath said tender, from whence it is designed to pass through the train of cars in the usual manner, my improvement being located near the dome, to which the pipe is connected. If preferred, however, the pipe may be connected directly to the boiler instead of to the dome. Fig. 2 represents a central vertical section, considerably enlarged, of my improvement.

In said drawings, a indicates an ordinary locomotive-boiler; b, the dome thereof c, the tender of the locomotive; d, the pipe through which steam is transmitted from the boiler to the heater'pipesin the train,and e the easing or chamber in which is located my automatically-workin g valve f. Said valve is carried by a valve-stem g, which works in a socket at the bottom of the casing or chamber and rests upon an adjusting-screw h, by which the downward movement of the valve is regulated and limited, as will be understood.

The operation is as follows: The steam is introduced into the heater-pipe gradually by means of a valve 1', which is opened and closed by means of a knob c", Fig. 1. The steam being thus introduced gradually until the pipes are filled passes around and above the valve through the casing or chamber, as indicated by the arrow j, without raising said valve. In the event of a break in any of the heaterpipes, allowing a sudden escape of steam, the pressure beneath the valve, as indicated by the arrow k,'would be instantly and greatly increased, causing said valve to close, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby shutting off the steam automatically, as will be manifest. The current of steam from the boiler is diverted or turned downward by means of a tongue or projection I, Fig. 2, in the valve-chamber, and is thereby caused to impinge against the under side of the valve f, thereby aiding in producing the result above stated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secnrebyLetters Patent-of the United States, is-

1. The combination, with a boiler and a pipe connected therewith, of a casing connected with said pipe and having a valve-seat, a valve in said casing having a stem,a socket adjustable within the casing, in which the valve-stem is loosely guided, and an adjusting-screw in said socket and upon which the lower end of the said stem is supported and by which its downward movement may be regulated and limited, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a boiler and a pipe therefrom, of a valve-chamber having a valveseat and provided with a tongue Z below said seat, whereby the steam is turned downward to impinge against the under side of the valve, and a gravity-valve in the said chamber, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of November, 1891.

CHARLES J. VALENTINE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, OSCAR A. MICHEL. 

